Question

1. complete the table that compares the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem.

table with columns: producers, consumers, decomposers; row: role(s) within an ecosystem, with producers column having 1

Explanation:

To complete the table, we analyze the roles of each group in an ecosystem:

• Producers: Organisms (like plants, algae) that perform photosynthesis or chemosynthesis to create organic matter (food) from inorganic substances (e.g., \( \text{CO}_2 \), water, minerals). They are the base of the food chain, providing energy for all other trophic levels.
• Consumers: Organisms that cannot produce their own food. They obtain energy by eating other organisms (producers or other consumers). Herbivores eat producers, carnivores eat other consumers, and omnivores eat both.
• Decomposers: Organisms (like bacteria, fungi) that break down dead organic matter (e.g., dead plants/animals, waste) into simpler inorganic substances (nutrients). This recycles nutrients back into the ecosystem for producers to use.

Answer:

	Producers	Consumers	Decomposers